Ramp shoe



NOV. 25

' c. A. PARKER RAMP SHOE Filed March 1923 'vwcmtot Mar/es A? Parker Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

CHARLES A. PARKER, OF HAUGAN, MONTANA, ASSI GNOR 'IO WESTERN AUTOMATTC COMPANY, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

RAM SHOE.

Application filed March 6, 1923. Serial No. 623,291.

To all whom. it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hangan, in Mineral County and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ramp Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

l\i[y present invention relates to improvements in ramp shoes especially adapted for use in electric train-control mechanism in connection with air brake mechanism used on the cars or trains of electric railways, steam railroads, or other similar lines of communication. For convenience of illustration and description I shall hereinafter refer to equipment for steam railroads wherein an electric train-control mechanism is carried in a box or case on a locomotive or tender directly above the rear end of ramp shoe and connected with the air brake sys tem as usually employed on standard trains.

The ramp shoe is carried by a moving part of the train, usually attached to an engine truck or its tender-truck at an outer side thereof, for co-action with a stationary amp-rail located preferably outside the track rail and parallel therewith.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a strong, durable and efii cient device for actuating the train control mechanism, which is constructed and arranged in such manner as to afford a maximum factor of safety against mechanical breakage of any of its parts, thus insuring reliability in the performance of its required functions.

Provision is also made whereby, when an engine carrying the ramp shoe is backed, and the shoe encounters the stationary ramp, or other object, the shoe may be moved without actuating the operating connections with the train stop mechanism.

An additional feature of my invention involves a combination and arrangement of parts whereby, should the ramp shoe accidentally be rendered inoperative, a service application of the air brakes of the train automatically takes place to stop the train, thus warning the engineer of the necessity for precaution and preventing the train from proceeding without proper safeguards.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention in connection with a railway truck and railway track and engine control mechanism, in which the parts are combined and arranged according to an acceptable mode devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

' Figure 1 is a view showinga track side installation of the ramp rail, together with a truck equipped with the ramp shoe of my invention, and indicating also an air control device for the train stop mechanism carried by a locomotive.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ramp shoe and its supporting member or arm, detached. I

The rail 1 and road bed are of standard construction, and the ramp rail 9., which is located outside the track rail and parallel therewith is firmly fixed and supported in appropriate mannergand provided with the necessary electrical connections, not shown. Preferably the ramp rail is fashioned with two inclined surfaces or treads 3 anda declining from the elevated central portion, for co-action with the ramp shoe as will be described.

A standard form of truck 5 wheel type is shown in Figure 1, assumed to be traveling to the right in the direction of the arrow. Other parts of the train equipment such as the air brake mechanism for the train, car, or engine, and electrical connections for the train control are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention, and therefore are not shown.

The ramp shoe of my invention, while adaptable for-use in other ways and capable of attachment to other parts of a moving train or car, 1s here shown attached to the truck 5 through the instrumentality of a supporting arm made of one or more metal of the four straps or plates of resilient material. As here shown this supporting arm comprises a comparativcly long bottom st 'apor leaf 6 and an upper, shorter leaf 7, suitably secured'together and fashioned to provide an arm of vadequate length for the purpose. The shoearm is attached to a portion of the truck as by means of U-bolts 8-S and is disposed in such relation as to pass directly over the ramp rail at the track side, with its forward end firmly and rigidly attached to the truck near the pedestal 9 and extending rear- ,wardly therefrom. The mainbody portion of the arm and its rear end are thus free of v obstruction, and as the metal of the arm is resilient, the arm is free to move in a vertical plane, swinging from its front, fixed end. The arm however, in normal position, possesses snflicient rigidity, to prevent movement relative to the truck, and it is carried as a. part of the truck structure.

As an electrical element the ramp arm is insulated from the truck and other metal parts, and in normal position is held under tension, to exerta downward pressure or pull, at'its free end, sufficient to hold the train-stop mechanism on the engine in normal position.

The ramp shoe 10 is carried at the free end of the ramp arm, disposed, norn'ially in a vertical plane, and hinged thereto at its upper end, as indicated at 11. The shoe is of suitable metallicconstruction, and is designed at its lower end to ride upon the amp rail in frictional contact therewith in usual manner.

In front of the shoe is disposed a forked brace or yoke 12 having its arms pivoted at 13 at the inner and outer sides of the loweredge of the shoe, which brace performs the functions of a draw bar when the shoe encounters the ramp rail. At its forward end, this upwardly inclined draw bar or slide brace has a cross bar 14 passed through a slot 15 in a bracket 16 on the ramp arm. As here shown the bracket is fashioned by bending overthe free end of the top leaf 7 ,fd'form the'slot "15, but it will be appareiit'that this bracket and slot may be made in, other suitable manner if desired,

lYlie'n the ramp shoe encountersthe ramp ji ail, as in Fig. '1- the bottom end or lower edge ofthe shoe rides up the inclined surface or tread 3 of the ramp rail, and then -down the declining surface t of the ramp rail As the train is moving forward, the

g'action-or pull of the shoe on the ramp raiI'is' opposed by the brace 12 as a draw bar, which holds the shoe erector maintains 1t in its vertical position. And the resiliency of the ramp arm permits the shoe to rise or be elevated as the arm is flexed or bent upwardly. After the shoe passes over the peak of the ramp rail and descends the declining surface 4t of the rail the elasticity of the ramp arm restore-s said arm to its normal horizontal position, at the same time maintaining the shoe in upright or vertical position.

)Vhen the train is backing, and the shoe encounters the ramp rail from the right end in Figure 1, the shoe is first pushed to -'therear by contact with the rail end, swinging on its pivot or hinge 11, and the draw bar now slides rearwardly with its cross f bar 1-1: in the slot 15 of the bracket 16. The

shoe rides over the ramp rail without affecting the position of the ramp arm, and the latter is maintained in its normal. horizontal position. with the shoe and its brace ap 'ilication of the in the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.

At the free end of the ramp arm, the ramp shoe is fashioned with a horizontally extending crank arm 17, rigid with the shoe and extending rearwardly from the shoe. A cord or cable 18, having insulation indicated at 19, extends upwardly from the end of the crank arm, to which it is attached, and enters the case or box containing the electric control in cab of the locomotive. as indicated in Figure 1. The cable is held taut and is attached at its upper end to one arm of a bell crank lever 20, which is pivoted to a suitable stationary support.

through an eye-bolt 21. The bolt is passed loosely through an opening in one of these crank arms. and a spring 22 coiled about the bolt above the arm and retained by means of an adjusting nut on the bolt. Thus the cable and resilient ramp arm may be placed under tension by tightening the nut to draw the bolt upwardly, placing the spring under tension and holding the cable taut.

In operative relationship to the bell crank lever, a portion of an air brake control is illustrated in Figure 1 including a branch pipe 24. that is connected to a reducing valve (not shown) and a. compression valve 25 and 26 in this pipe.

The latter valve opens through the pipe end to the atmosphere but is normally held closed; Valve 25 is also normally'held and positively closed through t-l' epmed iuni of the bell crank lever bearing-against ts spring pressed stem 27.

Thus it will be apparent that when the ramp shoe is lifted as it travels over the ramp rail, elevating the resilient ramp arm, the cable is slackened. thus relieving pressure on the bell crank lever 20. The existing pressure of air in pipe 2-1: forces open the valve -5, (which valve has been released hv the slackened cable) and the valve stem swings the bell crank lever on its pivot.

After passing through the valve 25, the

air under pressure also opens the valve 26 and thence passes to the atmosphere through the end of pipe This moven'ient of the air through pipe 21: results in bringing about the required condition to insure the air brakes (not shown herein) for the purpose of stopping the. train. the initial step being thus actuated from the ramp rail and ramp shoe in coaction. After the ramp shoe has reached the peak of. the angular ramp rail and starts down the incline, the. ramp arm. due to its elasticity returns to normal horizontal position. pulling the cable taut again against tension of the adjusting spring 22. This action swings the bell crank lever on its pivot with the result that the arm bearing on the valve stem 27 closes the valve 25 and l no prevents t'urther passage through the pipe 24 of air toward the atmosphere. By this means the normal condition of the train stop mechanism is again restored, with the ramp arm, shoe, and cable in normal condition also.

lVhile I have shown one exemplification of my invention in the drawings, it will be understood that various changes, alterations and adaptations may be made therein, within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention, and such changes are contemplated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a resilient arm having a fixed support, of a pivoted ramp shoe carried by said arm, a draw bar pivoted to the shoe and adapted to function as a brace therefor, and a connection between said draw bar and arm whereby the shoe may swing in a direction opposite to the bracing action of said bar.

The combination with a resilient arm having a fixed support, of a pivoted ramp shoe, a draw bar pivoted to said shoe, and a slotted bracket on said arm for the recep tion of the free end of said draw bar.

3. The combination with a resilient arm having a fixed support, of a ramp shoe pivoted at the free end of said arm, a brace connecting said shoe and arm, a crank arm on said shoe, a movable releasing element, a flexible connection between said element and said crank arm, and means for adjusting the tension of said flexible connection.

at. The combination with a resilient arm, of a movable amp shoe and means for retaining said shoe in normal position with relation to said arm, a movable releasing element, an operative connection under tension between said ramp shoe and element, and means for adjusting the tension of said connection.

5. The combination with a resilient arm, of a pivoted ramp shoe having a crank arm, means for retaining said shoe in normal position with relation to said arm, a movable releasing element and an eye-bolt loosely supported therein, a cable connecting said crank arm and eye'bolt, an adjusting nut on said bolt, and a tension spring interposed between said nut and releasing element.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa tu re.

CHARLES A. PARKER. 

